Bount
The Bounts (バウント, Baunto) are a group of Humans that live by consuming Human souls (Pluses), as well as Shinigami and Quincy souls which potentially increases their abilities. OverviewEdit Bounts are living beings similar to the Quincy, the difference being that they have a special component that is encompassed by a Human soul. Bounts have the unique ability to absorb Human souls, making them their own.1 It is as a result of this ability that Bounts at various times in Human history were labeled "Vampires". As the accidental creations of a Shinigami scientist, they were once affiliated with Soul Society. Currently, the Bounts in general are only a small tribe of beings from what they once were. Due to their circumstance, they are neither affiliated with Soul Society nor the Human World; they are pariahs, accepted in neither dimension. The natural abilities they possess due to their unique creation differentiate them from normal Humans and even Quincy. These abilities include: Soul Absorption: Bounts normally try to absorb the Human's soul after the person dies and is trying to pass on. But they are also capable of taking the souls of those who are living, to do so kills the Human.1 * Immortality: By absorbing Human souls, a Bount can live forever. When they absorb Human souls, they gain eternal life.1 * Empowerment: By taking the souls of living Humans, Bounts gain unique abilities.2 HistoryEdit The Bounts were created by Ran'Tao as the accidental result of an explosion during an experiment by the predecessor of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. The experiment was an attempt to develop eternal life using the already slow-aging Shinigami souls as the base, but the materials used in the experiment crossed with the development of souls in the Real World and led to the creation of a new spiritually-active Human race, called the Bounts.3 The Bount souls were scattered about the world, giving rise to a new race that never aged after reaching their twenties or thirties. They were generally treated as outcasts due to the fact that they did not age. The Shinigami scientist responsible for their creation, Ran'Tao, gathered most of the Bounts into a small community in a secret cave structure, several centuries before the main storyline. It was her intent to improve the quality of life for the people whose suffering she felt responsible for.4 However, the embarrassment of this accidental creation, as well as the fact that a tenth ofSeireitei was destroyed in the resulting explosion and the possible threat they posed to the balance between the worlds, led the Central 46 to rule that the experiment and its failure were to be covered up, and the Bounts destroyed. Shinigami were dispatched to kill the Bount community, but a handful survived, including a young boy saved by Ran'Tao herself, to whom she gave a seal that would help unlock the Bounts' true power.5 The Bounts who survived the massacre wandered like nomads and eventually fell prey to constant attacks by Hollows. It was during this time that the boy, Eugene Carrier, activated the seal's power and merged with his Doll - the Bount equivalent to a Shinigami's Zanpakutō - and killed off the attacking Hollows.4 The survivors eventually found refuge in another cave and began devising a plan to return to Soul Society, which they saw as more of a home than the real world ever could be. Eugene, now an adult, was against this plan. He had witnessed the massacre and believed the only thing that would await the Bounts if they returned to Soul Society would be subservience or death. Regardless, the Bounts' leadership decided to gain access to Soul Society by means of the Quincy's power. The Quincy were unwilling to assist, and a battle ensued, in which the Quincy and Shinigami killed most of the surviving Bounts.1 Further infuriated by this, Eugene took the last few surviving Bounts, all of whom were of a similar mindset to him, and began plotting revenge on Soul Society. These Bounts managed to perfect the control of their Dolls, and by the time of the main storyline, Eugene, now going by the alias, Jin Kariya, was ready for vengeance. Unfortunately, Kariya's plan was doomed to fail, as most of the Bounts he assembled were either killed by the Shinigami and their allies or rebelled against him and he was forced to kill them. The only Bount that wasn't killed was Gō Koga, who ironically ended up living with the Bounts' creator, Ran'Tao.6 Powers & AbilitiesEdit The Bounts' inability to age is a product of how they survive: consuming Human, Shinigami, Hollows, and Quincy souls which potentially increases their abilities. This also seems to make them infertile, as only one Bount, Yoshino Sōma, had the ability to reproduce out of the entire species.7 Normally, Bounts consume Human souls that have already died. Bount Seals: These seals are called Hankyō Hyuraizā.8 Jin Kariya was the only Bount who has shown most use of this technique. His first one was the birth of the Bitto. The following Bount seals: * Zeige Dich, Noin Raven meaning Pursue the Plan, Noin Raven.7 * Zeige Dich!, German for Show yourself, is used by all the Bounts to summon their Doll.9 It is similar to a Shikai command; the difference is that all Bounts have the same release command. A Shikai has only one dominant command, while a Doll has many commands. Space Manipulation: The Bounts are able to manipulate space after they have sucked a number of souls. Jin Kariya was said to have long had this ability, while Gō Koga had recently gained the ability. The following Spacial Commands are: * Andere Welt anschliessende Port, tauch' dich sofort auf!, incorrect German meaning''The portal which connects to another world, appear now!. This opens a Senkaimon.10 * 'Mache sogleich das Tor fuer unsere Bounto auf!', German phrase meaning ''Open at once the gate for our Bounts. This allows the Bounts' souls to pass through the Senkaimon. In order for the portal to open faster, it needs a Quincy arrow to be shot through the portal.11 DollsEdit Main article: Doll Bounts, being created as variations on a Shinigami soul, have similar powers to Shinigami. The foremost of these powers is the Bount Doll, somewhat equivalent to a Shinigami's Zanpakutō.4Like a Zanpakutō, a Doll is its creator's power given physical form. Also like a Zanpakutō, a Doll's personality is much like its creator's, though the Dolls have a degree of personality variation. The main difference between a Doll and a Zanpakutō is how they operate. Unlike a Zanpakutō, whose personality is generally dormant except when the Shinigami wishes to speak to them, a Doll's personality is always present. Dolls are self-sufficient when released, though they can easily be resealed. The Bounts' ability to control their Doll is largely based on their individual power and relationship with the Doll. Moreover, if either the Doll or its Bount partner sustains severe damage in a battle, the Bount may lose control over his Doll, depending on the amount of damage dealt. If a Doll is injured, it will simply return itself to its sealed state. However, should its master be injured, the Doll may go berserk and kill its master, which is what happened withUgaki and Mabashi's Dolls. A Doll may also kill a Bount who is not powerful enough to contain it, as was the case with Cain.12Bounts with a genuine bond with their Dolls can transgress this (but only if their interaction goes well beyond that of between master and slave), however, as shown by Yoshino's Doll's loyalty towards his master to the point where he refused to leave her side to fulfill her final wish: for her to be merged with him.7 Like a Zanpakutō, Dolls are generally sealed into an object and released as necessary. Gō Koga's Doll, for example, is sealed into a metal sphere, but his hidden Doll is merged with him by his special abilities.13 The object varies greatly from person to person and is often an expression of the Doll's abilities. In order to call upon a Bount's Doll, the phrase "Zeige Dich" is said, which is a German phrase meaning "Show yourself."9 BittoEdit Jin Kariya and Ugaki were also able to create a unique form of Doll known as the Bitto.2 They are mosquito-like beings which drain the souls from humans and condense the energy into a purified liquid for the Bounts to drink. They even produce a useful vial in their sacs to store the elixir (which takes the form of a red, blood-like liquid). After the soul elixir has been ingested, the Bount who took it immediately experiences the effects, with veins popping from their skin.2Kariya created the Bitto by sacrificing Yoshino Sōma, the only Bount capable of reproduction, in an elaborate ritual, producing a large swarm of them.7 TriviaEdit * The liner notes of "TV Animation Bleach Official Soundtrack 2" 14 contains two poems, one pertaining to the Bounts, with the second likely to as well: ** "A long time ago... :: An infinitely long time ago... :: We lived in the shadows of history. :: Countless are those who have experienced :: hardships, :: tragedies beyond description... :: it is under these circumstances, that now, :: the Bounts will finally emerge :: from the darkness." :* "We have lived on for ages... :: So long, that our countless memories :: have long since turned ash-gray." * The Bounts have a German motif, similar to the Hollow and Arrancar who have a Spanish motif.